Things to Do in South Daytona

Physically, celadon porcelain from the Ming and Qing Dynasties and a 13-foot skeleton of the giant ground sloth don’t have too much in common. But both explore how our world has evolved and how we perceive it—making both perfectly suited for display in the eclectic exhibits of the Museum of Arts & Sciences. The 100,000-square-foot museum—which perches on a 90-acre nature preserve—houses a planetarium alongside myriad exhibits that delve into art, history, and science.

The museum’s particularly impressive assembly of Cuban art draws visitors through 300 years of history with more than 200 rare maps, paintings, and ceramics. Nearby, the exhibit of Chinese art glimmers with gemstones, bronzes, and cloisonné. Visitors also peruse crafts made closer to home in the 4,000-square-foot gallery of American art, where portraits by Gilbert Stuart and landscapes by George Bonfield hang on walls, rather than on the traditional horse’s withers. In addition to its traditional art galleries, the Museum of Arts & Sciences also hosts more fragile objects inside the Helene B. Roberson Visible Storage Building, a 4,400-square-foot glass-fronted space designed to maintain exhibits in a climate-controlled state.

Younger museum-goers can gaze longingly at the 800 teddy bears on display in the Americana-focused Root Family Museum before heading to the Charles and Linda Williams Children’s Museum to explore hands-on science exhibits. In addition to assembling and testing model racecars, whippersnappers strum the 16 laser beams of a laser harp and find the carotid artery with an ultrasound at the radiology lab. Daily shows in the planetarium continue scientific education by unlocking the night sky’s mysteries, such as why stars don’t go out when you blow on them.

During My Ohana Luau’s interactive dinner show, dancers call patrons of all ages onstage to learn Polynesian dance moves and befriend hula girls, creating a song-and-dance spectacle flanked by an authentic island-style buffet. Before the show, visitors dine on a buffet of delicacies such as Hawaiian-style steak and pulled pork with sweet-and-sour sauce, prepared fresh daily by a Samoan chef. A flaming fire knife dance serves as the performance's triumphant conclusion, wherein performers hailing from diverse Polynesian regions gambol in elaborate headdresses and traditional island garb. Parties celebrating birthdays and anniversaries relay their excitement to the house emcee, who announces landmark occasions to the crowd.

The eatery’s full bar further enlivens shows with cocktails such as the Flaming Volcano for two, a mixture of three types of rum with orange and pineapple juice that burns brighter than a bonfire fueled by SAT-prep books. For less formal fare, the onsite café serves simple omelet breakfasts, and the pool-deck menu centers on sandwiches.

During a round of golf in this region, it’s not uncommon for players to see the occasional alligator sunning itself on the banks of a fairway pond. The same, however, cannot be said for miniature-golf courses, unless you’re playing at Congo River Golf, where the civilized sinking of putts coexists with the visceral carnage of live-alligator feedings. More than 25 alligators wait for patrons to feed them morsels of gator food in an exhibit beside the course. Though the course offers no chance for an encounter with the ancient, scaly species, it enchants players with waterfalls, safari-themed artifacts, and towering rock faces. In addition, Congo River Golf encompasses an indoor arcade and a gemstone-mining station, where guests dig through dirt for fossils, arrowheads, and Neanderthal’s kindergarten time capsules.

For more than half a century, salty breezes off the Atlantic have rustled the fronds of the palm trees that arch along the fairways at New Smyrna Golf Club. The 18-hole, par-72 layout—originally dreamt up by course architect Donald Ross—more recently underwent renovations by Bobby Weed, updating them for 21st-century expectations such as an absence of pack horses. Before driving and putting their way across the 6,567-yard course, golfers can warm up at one of the driving range’s 30 hitting stations or acquire gear from Titleist, Callaway, and Nike at the pro shop to fill their club quivers.

Daytona Ice Arena sends skaters glissading across an ultra-smooth, NHL regulation-size sheet of ice. Bleacher seating with room for more than 300 spectators looms behind the glass on one side of the rink, and above, a snack bar overlooking the facility doles out refreshments. While escaping Florida's heat and the panhandling paddleboards that come with it, visitors to the frosty, 35,000-square-foot arena can soak up extra relaxation at the Penalty Box Sports Pub, which accompanies elevated views of the ice with an arsenal of big-screen TVs. The building—located just minutes from the beach—buzzes daily during public skating sessions but also plays host to a medley of other ice-tied triumphs including learn-to-skate programs, birthday parties, and youth and adult hockey leagues.

As one of the only dedicated art houses in Daytona Beach, Cinematique's all-digital theater and surround-sound system immerse theatergoers in national, international, and local independent flicks. In addition to the latest celluloid, Cinematique screens cultural events, pairs indie movies with live improv comedy, and hosts a Saturday-night showcase for local filmmakers, musicians, poets, and Oscar-statue impersonators. Through its Daytona Beach Film Festival, Cinematique supplies audiences with a vast assortment of movies, from internationally acclaimed directors to local and student filmmakers. The theater also illumes an inflatable screen with cinematic classics at free outdoor showings at the Daytona Beach Bandshell, commencing each film at dusk so patrons and cinephilic fruit bats can relish its crystalline picture quality.